Starting with the Basics

Apple iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus breaks sales records Summary
     This article discusses how Apple Inc.'s iPhone 6 sold 1 million more units within three days of its September 12 announcement than the iPhone 5.  The new was available for pre-order in 10 countries and sold over 10 million units after its announcement.  The lead of this article is effective because it provides the most important fact in the beginning and it creates the potential to hook someone who is interested in the new phone.  One quote included in the article was,"While our team managed the manufacturing ramp better than ever before, we could have sold many more iPhones with greater supply and we are working hard to fill orders as quickly as possible," which was said by Apple's Chief Executive Tim Cook. The most important information was told first which was that the Apple iPhone 6 sold 10 million units in its first weekend. Yes, the story does have a good ending because although it is less exciting than the opening it still provides interesting information for the consumer.

Link:http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/apple-iphone-6-and-iphone-6-plus-break-sales-record-1.2773981


The real value Minecraft brings to Microsoft Summary
     This article discusses the announcement that Microsoft Corp. will purchase the game-making company Mojang AB for 2.5 billion dollars during the week of September 14-20.  Microsoft will purchase the company because of the game Minecraft and the profit they can make off of this highly popular franchise.  I believe that the lead is effective because it provides the reader with just the right hook and information to get them to continue reading to get the rest of the story.  One quote found in this article was, “Some things that are special to us about Minecraft is the broad set of gamers that play this game,” which was said by Phil Spencer whom is head of Xbox at Microsoft.  Yes, the most interesting information was said first which was that Microsoft Corp. purchased Mojang, the creators of Minecraft for 2.5 billion dollars.  Yes, the article has a good ending because it reflects on Minecraft, the reason Microsoft made the purchase by talking about its educational possibilities.

Link: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/international-business/microsoft-bets-on-minecrafts-loyal-fans-with-mojang-purchase/article20677589/


Why Call of Duty's biggest war may be with itself Summary
     This article discusses how the gaming franchise Call of Duty has changed over the years and how it is beginning to face an enormous identity crisis.  The franchise is going through this to try and satisfy the consumers by changing their yearly releasing game.  The intro to the article is effective because it introduces the reader to the main topic of the piece while giving subtle hints at other smaller details that will be discussed later.  One quote found in the article is, “Fans are clear that they want new ways to play, but how do you innovate without alienating them?” which is said by Sledgehammer Games Foster City, Calif. co-founder Michael Condry.  Yes, the most interesting information was said first which was that the Call of Duty franchise has been changing so much over the past years that it bears little to no resemblance to its past installments.  Yes, the article has a good ending because it reflects on the main topic of the article and highlights major points discusses throughout the article.

Link: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/technology/gaming/why-call-of-dutys-biggest-war-may-be-with-itself/article19989805/

First Newspapers

     The newspapers of today are very different from those of the past. There are many differences between how we receive our news and how people got it all those years ago. Newspapers of today are different in design because they are coloured and contain many different articles and related photographs. In the past, newspapers contained much less content and in most cases less reliable and more bias stories and articles. Also, the earliest newspapers did not contain photographs, but rather drawings. Today, as well as in written form, we can get any and news stories online making news much easier to access than in the past.

     I do not believe that the government should have as much power in relation the published news stories as they did the time of the earliest newspapers. Newspaper articles and stories were created in order to express our freedom of speech as well as our's and other's opinions on these events and narratives. If the government were to have the power to shut down a newspaper today, it would be equal to shutting down our freedom of speech which we have worked so hard to obtain over the centuries.
   
I believe that this comparison was made because of the blank page the author left for others to leave there own opinions, comments and stories. I do find this comparison somewhat surprising because you would not expect the use of “the first blog” format to have occurred over 300 years ago in the 1690's. Although I do find it a bit surprising, in a way it is not as well. During those times they did not have the internet to post their comments and opinions on a story they had read to be shared with others. Writing on this shared newspaper would be their form of stating their views and providing their own standings on a particular story or event.

     I believe that a newspaper can be critical of the government or an organization today and continue to prosper because they are not monitored in the same way they would have been in the past. Along with freedom of speech came freedom of press and publishing barriers, for the most part, have disappeared. This freedom allows journalist to provide stories and events to a paper that may bash or speak down an organization without the major backlash that was once a result.

      I was surprised to find out that the first Canadian newspaper was published in Halifax because the city is not only close, but part of the Maritimes where I am from. I originally thought that the first Canadian made newspaper would have be written in Ontario, specifically the city of Ottawa. I thought this because Ottawa is the capital city of Canada and you would think that something of this proportion would have been created in the country's capital.